How to Protect your Skin from Winter

Winter skin can be tough to deal with. It can get dry, flaky, cracked and irritated. Exposed skin can become especially dry, such as hands and faces. Skin on the arms and legs can also become dry and irritated.

Winter Skin Tips From Dr. Abadir

To take care of your skin as the temperature drops and the humidity levels decrease it is important to follow a few simple steps.

Put humidifiers in the rooms that you spend the most time in, including bedrooms. Even a pot of water left on the radiator will evaporate enough moisture to help skin stay hydrated.

Moisturize immediately after showering. Apply a moisturizer that has an acid base for extra protection. Acid based moisturizers are available over the counter and in prescription strength. Facial moisturizers that are acid based are great for diminishing fine lines as well as making skin appear supple and smooth.

Your showers shouldn’t be too hot and keep them short. As good as long hot showers feel on cold days, they can dry skin out. Baths are less drying, and a bath oil may be put in to enhance skin moisture (but the bath may become slippery, so care should be taken).

Try using non-soap, or synthetic detergent (syndet) cleansers in liquid form, as these are less drying than bar soap. There are many syndets now available at the local stores.

Remember, it isn’t necessary to use cleanser all over every day, unless you have been doing a very dirty job (think mucking out an animal stall). Use cleansers where needed, but not on arms and legs daily if they are dry. Moisturize hands after washing them to keep them from drying out and cracking. Winter skin that is too irritated to be healed with over the counter moisturizer and it can be treated with a prescription strength cortisone, if needed.